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Zembiec (6'3/214) will be allowed to remain on scholarship, but he's no longer going to count against Penn State's limit. The former four-star recruit did not attempt a pass during his time with the team. Tommy Stevens and Sean Clifford will work as Trace McSorley's primary backups with Zembiec no longer on roster to jostle for depth-chart positioning.

Bowen (6'1/220) was dismissed from the Nittany Lions over the winter after initially being suspended in November. He had started nine contests prior to all that unfortunateness. In late July, Draft Analyst's Tony Pauline floated the possibility that the senior could potentially be reinstated in advance of the season. Looks like that has come to pass. Whether he can regain the starting role he held last season remains to be seen. Prior to his mid-season suspension, he had recorded 51 tackles (3.0 for loss), a sack and a fumble recovery.

Penn State received a verbal commitment from four-star 2019 G Saleem Wormley.

Wormley announced his final two as Rutgers and Penn State, and the Nittany Lions win the head-to-head battle. It's another four-star get for James Franklin and company, who now have the 17th ranked class in the country according to 247 Sports rankings. Wormley ranks 13th among guards in their eyes, as well, and he's considered the top player in the state of Delaware.

Penn State redshirt senior QB Trace McSorley was named to the Big Ten preseason watch list.

McSorley was the only unanimous selection on the roster. He is joined by players from the conference like Ohio State's J.K. Dobbins and Nick Bosa, Michigan State's Brian Lewerke, and Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor. McSorley is a potential Heisman contender this year, and should be considered among the favorites to take home the conference's player of the year award.

The Athletic's Audrey Snyder notes that Penn State redshirt junior CB John Reid (ACL) returned to action this spring.

Reid missed all of the 2017 season after he tore his ACL in a non-contact drill that spring. He was a 2016 All-Big Ten honorable mention selection after making five tackles for loss and picking off one pass with a fumble recovery, as well. It's a big return for the Nittany Lions, who lost four players to the NFL from the secondary from the 2017 roster. Expect the 5-foot-10, 185-pound corner to start opposite Amani Oruwariye, and PSU should be just fine at the position as long as he can stay healthy.

Wormley (6'4/300) has chopped his offer list down to two programs, with Penn State and Rutgers standing as the final pair under consideration. He's developed positive relationships with both coaching staffs and this is a somewhat tricky recruitment to read, but we'd put our Monopoly money on Rutgers as the ultimate champion for the big man's heart. The Scarlet Knights hosted Wormley on an official visit near the end of June. On the Rivals master list for the 2019 cycle, he slides in at No. 103 overall.

Draft Analyst's Tony Pauline writes that Penn State senior LB Manny Bowen could be back with the Nittany Lions in 2018.

Bowen was dismissed from the program at the end of December after he was given a season-ending suspension in November. Pauline, however, hears that there are rumblings that Bowen will be back with the Nittany Lions in 2018. He was a big part of the defense before the suspension/dismissal; registering 51 tackles -- three for loss and recovering a fumble. We'll see if Bowen is back in good graces with James Franklin and company soon.

Brown had tremendous hype coming into the 2017 season after his 2016 tape -- Pauline compared him to a better version of Aaron Maybin, a first-round pick in 2009, last summer -- but he was only able to play in three games last year because of a knee injury. When healthy, Brown has "terrorized" tackles as a pass-rusher in Pauline's eyes, and if he shows a similar skill set in 2018 -- and he shows he's healthy -- that grade could improve substantially for the 6-foot-3, 253-pound defender.

Bates (6'4/301) played left tackle for the Nittany Lions in 2017, and there's a good chance he'll line up there again for Penn State in 2018. Pauline sees him as a guard prospect at the next level, however, and a good one. He notes that he's higher on the redshirt junior than the industry, so there's likely Day 3 grades for Bates from other scouts at this point. "The wider the area he’s asked to protect, the more he struggles, something that was apparent to me last season," Pauline writes. "His next-level prospects are at guard in a traditional offense which occasionally requires him to block in motion."

ESPN's Phil Steele lists Penn State as the team with the top quarterback situation in 2018.

It of course starts with Trace McSorley; the senior signal-caller that is getting Heisman hype already. As Steele points out, The Nittany Lions also have Tommy Stevens, who Steele believes is one of the country's best backups. With Saquon Barkley off to the NFL, Penn State is expected to open the passing game up more in 2018. With McSorley -- and in an emergency, Stevens-- the Nittany Lions are in a good position to do so.

Penn State received a verbal commitment from four-star 2019 WR John Dunmore.

Dunmore (6'2/172) opted in with the Nittany Lions over fellow finalists Florida State and Auburn. He earlier checked out Happy Valley on an official visit near the beginning of June. The Hollywood, Florida, native was viewed in many corners as a potential FSU pledge, making this a nice swipe for Penn State HC James Franklin and staff. Dunmore has performed well -- and consistently -- on the offseason camp circuit, notably winning position group MVP honors at the Rivals 3 Stripe camp regional in Miami. Rivals ranks the wideout as the No. 47 overall prospect in the 2019 class. He's Penn State's seventh commitment with a four-star or better grade.

McSorley (6'0/195) was deadly on intermediate passes a year ago, no more so than when he was throwing in that medium range to targets to the left. Per Pro Football Focus, the signal-caller turned in a striking mark of 143.9 on such passes. We're eagerly anticipating his work this upcoming season, as he has a prime opportunity to step up even more as an offensive leader in the wake of departures from RB Saquon Barkley and OC Joe Moorhead.

The pending misdemeanor shoplifting charge against Penn State sophomore RB C.J. Holmes will be dismissed.

Holmes (6'0/190) was suspended for Notre Dame's Citrus Bowl win over LSU due to a December arrest on a shoplifting charge. He was dismissed from the team later in the winter, but resurfaced as a walk-on transfer to Penn State over the weekend. While he rushed for just 32 yards on eight carries as a true freshman in South Bend last season, Holmes ranked as Rivals' No. 203 overall prospect in the 2017 class and there should be plenty of talent remaining to mine, here, so long as he can keep his head clear. He'll be sitting out the upcoming season to satisfy NCAA transfer regulations.

ESPN's Dan Murphy lists Penn State junior LB/S Koa Farmer as the most underrated player on the Nittany Lions.

Farmer has called himself the "utility man" of the defense, and it makes sense, as he's able to play close to the line of scrimmage and also help as a safety in pass coverage. "Farmer's transformation from a high school running back to a 235-pound linebacker is complete," writes Murphy, "and as one of the unit's top returning players, he's primed for a breakout year."

Former Notre Dame sophomore RB C.J. Holmes will enroll at Penn State as a walk-on.

Holmes was dismissed from the Notre Dame team after a shoplifting charge in December. The 6-foot, 190-pound running back is getting a second chance with the Nittany Lions. He's a former four-star player who turned eight carries into 32 years in his first year with the Fighting Irish. He should provide some depth as Penn State tries to replace the departure of Saquon Barkley.

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